Left unsaid: The Civil Terror Response Team and many bigger NYC metropolitan area “defense” items will not survive the “sequester” — if it comes

Unreported in the coverage of the SAVING of a National Guard “Civil Terror Response Team,” formally known as the 24th National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST), based at Fort Hamilton is how long that “saved” status will last ( see “Lawmakers: Save civil terror response team at Fort Hamilton” by Judy Randall, 1/30/13, silive.com/ Staten Island Advance [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/lawmakers_save_civil_terror_re.html]; and “Pols Call for DOD to Retain Terror Response Team in NYC” by Amy Gernon, 1/31/13, LONGISLAND.COM – NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS, LOCAL NEWS [http://www.longisland.com/news/01-31-13/pols-call-for-dod-to-retain-terror-response-team-in-nyc.html] ).

There should be little doubt about any problematic “defense” expenditures like this one — if the Pentagon wants it gone, it will be gone when and if the “sequester” hits in a few months.

Is this the way it will happen for the Congressman from Southwest Brooklyn and Staten Island — not with a bang, but with a whimper — a buried item in somebody’s “Morning Read...” ?

Here is how it appeared on this morning’s “... Read” by Colin Campbell, “Ever wanted to go out on a day with former Congressman Michael Grimm? New Yorkers will have exactly that opportunity on February 8th when a Bay Ridge bachelor auction is set to include both Mr. Grimm...” ( “SUGGESTED READING — Morning Read: ‘I May Do Some Tango Moves’,” Colin Campbell, 1/31/13, Politicker [http://politicker.com/2013/01/morning-read-i-may-do-some-tango-moves/]). Maybe, Colin Campbell is really onto something and it just slipped out.

I heard something similar yesterday from a Brooklyn GOP insider (and remember, most of them never were for Congressman Grimm in the first place); and that person used the words: “Grimm”; “investigation”; “resignation”; “weeks” and “special election” — all in one sentence. I tried to tell the guy that it was all rumors, but he was insistent that it was really going to happen.

Current events are showing that there is next to no Brooklyn GOP influence in any of the heavily Orthodox Jewish areas in Brooklyn that voted for Romney — if there had been any connection between the Brooklyn GOP and Jewish voters in 2010 and 2011, it was gone by 2012

Brooklyn GOP and Orthodox Jewish spokesperson Jacob Kornbluh has always touted the typical Orthodox Jewish voter as somebody who was more comfortable voting Republican. On his blog he still points to the overwhelmingly pro-Romney vote in several of the most Orthodox Brooklyn ADs and EDs. Nonetheless, as we emerge into the 2013 municipal election cycle, with the possible exception of mayor, there is no effort to run any strong Brooklyn GOP candidate for any office in any area where Orthodox Jewish voters are dominant.

The “deal” with Democrat David Greenfield is as strong as ever, however the main players on the GOP-Conservative side of that deal are more like a Kassar-Golden-Skelos trio than any quartet that might involve Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton in anything more than a purely formal manner. The Southern Brooklyn “Nelson” district might be appealing to a strong-looking Brooklyn GOP candidate like, David Storobin, but that district contains many more ethnic Russian than Orthodox Jewish voters.

A key consultant who was associated with State Senator David Storobin’s campaign for re-election to the state senate maintains that Craig Eaton specifically refused to personally become involved in the Borough Park part of the 17th SD or to authorize someone like Jacob Kornbluh to act as the Chairman’s representative in a way that would have showed that the Brooklyn GOP was solidly behind its nominal candidate, Storobin, in his race against Democrat Simcha Felder. This was especially important, because Felder had been openly supported by Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos. As a result, the Brooklyn GOP showed that it had no footprint whatsoever in Borough Park or with any prospective GOP-oriented voters.

The story was much the same in the parts of the 17th SD that extended further south into the 45th SD. The same Storobin consultant pointed out that the Brooklyn GOP effort in the 45th AD was focused on the campaign plans made by Brooklyn GOP activist, Gene Berardelli, and GOP assembly candidate, Russell Gallo. That resulted in a convoluted campaign in the 45th AD with Kornbluh, a Brooklyn GOP spokesman and activist, working for the re-election of the Brooklyn GOP State Senator David Storobin, but against the election of the Brooklyn GOP candidate for the assembly in the 45th AD, Russell Gallo. As with the Borough Park part of the 17th SD, Kornbluh was not authorized to go into the Orthodox communities in the Southern Brooklyn neighborhoods as a representative of the Brooklyn GOP.

Equally problematic for the Brooklyn GOP is its relationship with Joseph Hayon, an Orthodox Jew, who is President of the Brooklyn Tea Party and had been the Brooklyn GOP candidate for the assembly in the 41st AD in 2012 and the 45th AD in 2010. Mr. Hayon has expressed his disillusionment with several of the decisions by the Republican Party that effected his races for the assembly, as well as the establishment’s criticism his attempts to reach out into the various Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn. Several of those close to Hayon have noticed that recently he might be moving even further away from the Brooklyn GOP and its prospective candidates for mayor in 2013.

In the past, Joseph Hayon had simultaneously worked with socially conservative candidates in both the Democratic and Republican Parties – occasionally backing candidates running in their respective parties’ primaries in the same election cycle and in the same district. In 2013 he is openly supporting the socially conservative Democrat Erick Salgado in his run for mayor. Hayon does not see any of the prospective Republican candidates for mayor as acceptable because of their positions on family and social values. If Mr. Salgado obtains a third party line and campaigns until November, Mr. Hayon has indicated that he would continue to support Mr. Salgado against any prospective mayoral candidate supported by the Brooklyn GOP.

Picture John Catsimatidis making this major announcement on the steps in front of City Hall with a bunch of his friends and closest supporters standing close behind

Look in the upper-left corner of one of the wide shots of the Catsimatidis' announcement at City Hall. It's one of our favorite past Brooklyn Young Republicans humming one of his favorite tunes -- "I'm Still Standing..."

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Something called the "Combating Terrorism Center at West Point" has published a report entitled: "Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right"

First, it was a report from Secretary Janet Napolitano's Homeland Security Department (see "... Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" [http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf]; and now it's somebody named Arie Perliger doing a report for some Department of the Army-based think tank at West Point warning everybody about the "... dramatic rise in the number of attacks and violent plots originating from individuals and groups who self-identify with the far-right of American politics."

The PDF format version of the Arie Perliger report runs to about one hundred fifty pages (@ 150 pp.) and can be found at: [http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/challengers-from-the-sidelines-understanding-americas-violent-far-right]

Here is the intro to the report published/posted on the home page of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (Also at [http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/challengers-from-the-sidelines-understanding-americas-violent-far-right]):

In the last few years, and especially since 2007, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of attacks and violent plots originating from individuals and groups who self-identify with the far-right of American politics. These incidents cause many to wonder whether these are isolated attacks, an increasing trend, part of increasing societal violence, or attributable to some other condition. To date, however, there has been limited systematic documentation and analysis of incidents of American domestic violence.

This study provides a conceptual foundation for understanding different far-right groups and then presents the empirical analysis of violent incidents to identify those perpetrating attacks and their associated trends. Through a comprehensive look at the data, this study addresses three core questions:

(1) What are the main current characteristics of the violence produced by the far right?

(2) What type of far-right groups are more prone than others to engage in violence? How are characteristics of particular far-right groups correlated with their tendency to engage in violence?

(3) What are the social and political factors associated with the level of far-right violence? Are there political or social conditions that foster or discourage violence?

It is important to note that this study concentrates on those individuals and groups who have actually perpetuated violence and is not a comprehensive analysis of the political causes with which some far-right extremists identify. While the ability to hold and appropriately articulate diverse political views is an American strength, extremists committing acts of violence in the name of those causes undermine the freedoms that they purport to espouse.

Among other matters related to the race for Brooklyn Borough President, The Daily News report described the source of their information that Councilman Recchia is again considering the Grimm seat as, friends close to Mr. Recchia. It goes on to recount how Dominic Recchia had considered running against the Congressman Grimm, the Staten Island Republican last year. According to the News account, even though Grimm had defeated his Democratic challenger, Mark Murphy, 53 percent to 46 percent in November 2012, the former Marine, FBI agent and businessman still appears to be vulnerable, because he's still being investigated by the feds and a House Ethics panel for problematic fund-raising activities connected with his first campaign.

Recchia, a successful private sector lawyer, did not personally discuss his latest political move or any of his plans for the 2014 race; and his spokeswoman, Ashleigh Owens said, “The decision to run for office is not one to be taken lightly.... Council Member Recchia has been consulting with his family, friends, colleagues, staff, and constituents regarding his plans and will make an announcement soon”
(See The Daily News – Brooklyn, “Exclusive: City lawmaker Domenic Recchia drops Brooklyn Beep run ...” by Reuven Blau, 1/28/13 [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/domenic-recchia-drops-brooklyn-beep-bid-paving-outspoken-state-lawmaker-eric-adams-article-1.1249817#ixzz2JNtEKDtd]). In any case, the News ran with the story.

However, in a short comment linking to the News’ article in his “Morning Read” column today, Colin Campbell specifically mentioned that – even though “...Mr. Recchia’s interest now lies in a congressional race against GOP Congressman Michael Grimm. Of course, former Rep. Mike McMahon, a Democrat, has expressed his own strong interest in the race, creating potential primary drama should Mr. Recchia push forward” ( “Morning Read: ‘I Vant to Have Your Vote’” by Colin Campbell, 1/29/13, Politicker [http://politicker.com/2013/01/morning-read-i-vant-to-have-your-vote/]).

When both a senior, but still up and coming, Brooklyn Councilman, Recchia and the former Congressman from the district, McMahon, are expressing interest in a contested congressional seat in a swing district more than a year and a half before election day, it means that the Democratic operatives in Washington are working hard to get a top candidate into the race against Grimm.

A tougher race for Grimm will mean tougher races for the down-ticket GOP-Conservative candidates for the State Senate and Assembly in parts of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island..

Monday, January 28, 2013

As was predicted here days ago, Adolfo Carrion’s chances of securing the Republican nod for mayor are virtually over, because Carrion simply has been unable to secure the support of three of NYC’s five Republican county chairmen.

It has also been confirmed by a report in Crains that Brooklyn’s Craig Eaton and Jay Savino of the Bronx, have privately committed to support Republican grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis if Mr. Carrión’s bid fails.

According to a report by Chris Bragg in the Crain’s Insider, as Adolfo Carrión’s prospects have faded, multiple Republican sources have leaked that two of the GOP chairman, who had been in Mr. Carrión’s corner, Brooklyn’s Craig Eaton and the Bronx’ Jay Savino, have committed to support Republican grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis once the Carrión attempt to get the GOP line dies See “Carrion’s hopes dim as GOP officials eye Catsimatidis” by Chris Bragg, 1/28/13 in Crains New York - Insider [http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/blogs/insider/#ixzz2JL2kXvYB]).

Although all the GOP leaders acknowledge that Joseph Lhota has the best credentials to be mayor, John Catsimatidis has more money to give to the Republican county organizations that support his candidacy. Mr. Catsimatidis is reported to have a net worth of some $3 billion and could easily pour very large amounts of money into a mayoral run. In addition to a Mother Jones report that Catsimatidis would officially announce his candidacy on Tuesday (see http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/john-catsimatidis-official-mayor-new-york-candidate ), the Catsimatidis campaign confirmed that the announcement will be Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. on the steps of City Hall.

Contested City Council Race in Staten Island won’t effect Brooklyn as Nicole sits tight in her trans-Narrows Assembly seat

According to the Staten Island Advance, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis endorsed Republican Steven Matteo in his race for the Mid-Staten Island City Council seat now held by Councilman James Oddo. Matteo had been the Chief of Staff to Mr. Oddo, who had to give up the Council seat because of term-limits, and he has shifted his sights to the Staten Island Borough Presidency ( See “Assemblywoman Malliotakis endorses Steven Matteo in race for Staten Island's Mid-Island City Council seat” by Tom Wrobleski, 1/23/13, Staten Island Advance [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/gop_assemblywoman_malliotakis_2.html]).

Last week in Politicker, Colin Campbell had mentioned that Malliotakis’ endorsement of Matteo
would naturally take her out of contention for a run for Oddo’s council seat. Although Assemblywoman Malliotakis did not make any moves toward a City Council run, her name had been mentioned as a possibility for the mid-Staten Island since winning her election against incumbent Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer in 2010.

According to Councilman Oddo, “I am thrilled and appreciative that Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis has heartily endorsed Steve Matteo. Nicole's decision was based on what she thinks is best for her constituents and the community. That says a lot about Steve, but also says a lot about her.” Long ago, Councilman Oddo had expressed his hope that he could be succeeded by his Chief of Staff Matteo.

2013 is the first time that “the Oddo seat” has been “open” since 1999; and since the mid- Staten Island district is considered a swing district, it has attracted multiple candidacies in both the Democratic and Republican Parties.

For the Republicans, in addition to Matteo as a declared candidate, is attorney Lisa Giovinazzo, a vice chairperson of the Staten Island Republican Party. Thus far, Steven Matteo has raised $34,024 for the race, and according to city Campaign Finance Board records, Lisa Giovinazzo has raised $11,275. Also looking at the possibility of entering the race on the GOP side are Dr. Mohammad Khalid, president of the Iron Hills Civic Association and a member of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and Steve Margarella, owner of Margarella Asphalt and Paving.

Democrats mentioned as considering a run include: Mark Murphy, who ran for Congress last year; John Mancuso, a 2012 Assembly candidate, and James Pocchia, who lost to Oddo in 2009.

Even though all the matters mentioned above appeared to be wholly within the borders of Richmond County, if Nicole Malliotakis had gone into the City Council, it would have meant a race for her seat that includes part of Bay Ridge in Kings County.

Brooklyn GOP- Cons Party State Senator Martin Golden can’t be happy that the Brooklyn editions of the NEW YORK POST – SUNDAY for 1/27/13contained an article by Will Bredderman entitled “Golden Under Gun Over His Gun Vote”; or that even his own Chief of Staff, Jerry Kassar, had bad things to say about the anti-gun vote pushed by Golden

The Post article is a virtual reprint of Bredderman’s earlier article/ post “Golden under the gun — Brooklyn Republicans blast GOP pol for assault rifle vote” that had first appeared in The Brooklyn Paper and last week on January 18th ([http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/36/4/br_goldenslammedforgunvote_2013_01_25_bk.html] ; first mentioned on this blog in my 1/18/13 comment to my 1/18/13 post, “Yesterday the Brooklyn Young Republican Club published it's own critique of Andrew Cuomo's new [anti-] gun law. Here is what Brooklyn's real Young Republicans had to say about it [http://galewynmassey.blogspot.com/2013/01/yesterday-brooklyn-young-republican.html] ).

As has been reported on this blog over the last couple weeks, the presidents of both of the Brooklyn Young Republican organizations have been in rare public agreement over the New York State S.A.F.E. anti-gun law – they oppose it and the way in which it was passed.

According to the Bredderman piece, Golden’s decision to strongly support Governor Andrew Cuomo’s anti-gun law triggered a blast of criticism from members of the five-term official’s political base, some of whom claimed that Golden is putting helpless New Yorkers in the cross-hairs of violent psychopaths — “I wanted to convey my club members’ disgust with your vote on Gov. Cuomo’s gun control bill,” Brooklyn Young Republican Club president Glenn Nocera wrote in an open letter to Golden, arguing that the bill will increase the chances of future bloodshed. “A criminal will always find a way to create carnage wherever or whenever he wants. Especially if there is no one with a gun to stop him.” Bredderman then continued by citing “Russ Gallo, the leader of the rival Brooklyn Young Republicans club, [who] said toughening gun laws will put borough residents at risk. *** ‘New York is once again on the wrong side of another national issue,’ said Gallo, a New York City transit cop and an Iraq War veteran. ‘The gun law that was passed will do nothing to protect anyone except criminals that are intent on invading homes and can now do so knowing that any law-abiding citizen living there is likely to be unarmed and/or have seven or fewer bullets in any guns they may have’.” Of course, Bredderman had to add this important item — the response from the Republican State Senator in the face of the coverage of the Young Republicans’ criticism: “Golden declined to comment on the criticisms....”

Just like Russell Gallo, who started generally criticizing the vote in support of Andrew Cuomo’s signature anti-gun law without specifically mentioning Martin Golden’s ACTIVE support and defense of the law, Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar also joined in criticizing both the legislature’s process and the final product – Cuomo’s S.A.F.E. anti-gun law – which had been championed by Kassar’s boss on his day job, State Senator Martin Golden ( See Jerry Kassar’s Week of 1/24-30/13 “Common Sense” column entitled “The Business of New York”; posted 1/22/13 on blog of Home Reporter- Brooklyn Spectator; published in The Brooklyn Spectator News. 1/25/13-1/31/13 [http://www.homereporternews.com/opinion/columnists/jerry-kassar-s-common-sense-the-business-of-new-york/article_9f772e70-64c5-11e2-8733-001a4bcf887a.html]).

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Fox News contributor, Tea Party activist, conservative GOP Ambassador Without Portfolio, and former GOP Governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin is moving off Fox News, but don’t expect her to leave the stage of real conservative, Tea Party Republicanism any time soon

Here’s a little of Sarah in her own words ( As told in a report and interview, “PALIN: 'WE HAVEN'T YET BEGUN TO FIGHT!'—EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BREITBART NEWS” by Sephen K. Bannon, posted 1/26/13, in Breitbart-Big Government [http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/01/26/Palin-We-Havent-Yet-Begun-to-Fight-Exclusive-Interview-with-Breitbart-News]) :

“.... The problem is that some on the Right are now skittish because of the lost 2012 election. They shouldn’t be. Conservatism didn’t lose. A moderate Republican candidate lost after he was perceived to alienate working class Reagan Democrat and Independent voters who didn’t turn out for him as much as they did for the McCain/Palin ticket in 2008. Granted, those same voters also didn’t turn out for Obama as strongly either. We had an election defined by a biased media plus millions of voters who sat it out in disgust. As long as we allow the media and GOP establishment to tell us who our nominees must be, we can expect to lose. I’m not interested in losing. America’s next generation can’t afford another loss. *** [ ] The MSM have declared both you and the Tea Party dead and buried. Reaction? *** I was raised to never retreat and to pick battles wisely, and all in due season. When it comes to defending our republic, we haven’t begun to fight! But we delight in those who underestimate us.

Friday, January 25, 2013

The window is closing on Adolfo Carrion's shot at getting onto the GOP ballot and Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton openly prepares to defenestrate from the Carrion Campaign before the window has closed for him as well

It looks like Craig Eaton has gotten super gabby about Adolfo Carrion's prospects of getting on the GOP ballot for mayor ( See "Carrion’s Bid for GOP Mayoral Nomination in Question" by By Michael Howard Saul, 1/25/13 Wall Street Journal - New York Metropolis [http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2013/01/25/carrions-bid-for-gop-mayoral-nomination-in-question/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_NY_NY_Blog ]). In that article/post, Michael Saul made the Kings County Republican Committee Chairman seem like a regular Joe Biden of quotable commentary.

“If I were a betting man, I would say that it does not look like we’re going to be able to secure a third Republican chairman to come on board with us.... And you know what? It is what it is.” said Craig Eaton, who along with Bronx GOP chairman Jay Savino are the only GOP chairmen who have been supportive of the unaffiliated Carrion’s GOP candidacy.

Nonetheless, Eaton still formally supports Carrion's attempt to run on the Republican line., saying: “Until I’m absolutely certain that he can’t get a third, I’m going to stand my ground,” Eaton said he expects to know within the next two weeks whether there’s any possibility of Carrion winning the support of a third chairman. Eaton also that said he had spoken to Carrion recently, and he said Carrion is continuing to fight for a spot on the Republican ballot. “He’s still going forward,” Eaton said. “He’s seeking the nomination.”

Davidson Goldin, a spokesman for Carrion, said, “Republican Party leaders asked him to enter into their process and that continues on track.” In an interview last month, Carrion said he had no interest in running for a position other than mayor. He declined to say what he would do if he were unable to get on the GOP ballot, saying he would cross that bridge when, and if, he comes to it.

Adlofo Carrion may be arrriving at that bridge sonner than he thinks. After uttering all the niceties about Carrion 's still being in the rqace for the GOP nod, Brooklyn GOP Chairman Eaton quickly made this predictive staement: “I think it’s fair to say that, at this stage, if Adolfo is unable to get a third (chairman), and that’s the way it appears it may wind up shaking out, then Jay Savino and I have a decision to make as to which other candidate we support.” If Carrion is no longer an option, Eaton said he might be endorsing one of the following three candidates: John Catsimatidis; Joe Lhota, a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and the Rev. A.R. Bernard, pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. Bernard met with the GOP leaders Thursday night to discuss his candidacy.

Manhattan GOP chairman Dan Isaacs agreed on the point that Carrion probably would not be able to get the support he needs to get access to the GOP ballot. Isaacs, along with the Queens GOP chairman, is supporting John Catsimatidis. “I’m with John,” Isaacs said. “And as long as John is a candidate, I’m with him.” Isaacs was so certain that Carrion would have no shot at the GOP line that even if John Catsimatidis were to drop out of the race, he still doubted Carrion could get three GOP chairmen to back him.

Officially filing as a City Council Candidate and using his blog,"Blue Collar Corner," as his bully pulpit, Hard Hat Andy Sullivan pushed his issues and his New York City Council campaign forward with gusto

Last week a report by Colin Campbell in the Politicker indicated that Republican candidate Andrew Sullivan had officially registered a committee to run for the New York City Council against Democratic incumbent Vinnie Gentile, but that other options were being kept open (See "BAY RIDGE BATTLE -- Andy Sullivan Files to Run Against Vinnie Gentile." by Colin Campbell, Politicker, 1/19/13 [ http://politicker.com/2012/01/andy-sullivan-files-to-run-against-vinnie-gentile/ ]). Since then, Sullivan's own blog posting indicated that he would be pursuing his leading issues as a candidate for the Council, and if elected, as Councilman.

Sullivan's most recent posting closed with this stirring peroration: "....Therein lies the Hostage situation the Union worker is in. Unless you are part of the Hierarchy you are an indentured servant sentenced to life and told how to think and who to vote for. Is this the country of Lincoln ? I think not. *** I will continue to fight these bastards and do it through the legislative as I am victorious in my City Council Run and at the same time bring the GOP kicking and screaming to their solution of becoming relevant in this Obama -Era. I am Andy Sullivan and I will be your next City Councilman" ("The New Slavery: Union Rank n File Member" by "andysully, Blue Collar Corner Blog, 1/24/13 [http://www.bluecollarcorner.com/blog/ ]).

At least one interested party took Hard Hat Andy Sullivan's announcement and early criticism to heart; it was Councilman Gentile himself (see "MOM AND POP SHOPS -- After Opponent’s Attacks, Vinnie Gentile Touts Small Business Efforts" by Colin Campbell, Politicker, 1/24/13 [http://politicker.com/2012/01/after-opponents-attacks-vinnie-gentile-touts-small-business-efforts/ ]). Nonetheless, Reporter Campbell has twice noted that "Taking on the incumbent Councilman will be no easy task...."; and in addition, questioned how seriously Republicans will engage in efforts to defeat the incumbent Councilman. Mr. Gentile "... beat his 2009 opponent by 20%...."

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Former Congressman and former Northern Staten Island Councilman Michael E. McMahon is reported to be mulling a comeback against a GOP incumbent, who is facing discontent on the Right and on Left, and on the firing line of an ongoing federal investigation

That's according to a post that first appeared yesterday on Roll Call's Politics Blog ( "New York: Former Rep. Mike McMahon Eyeing Congressional Bid", Joshua Miller, CQ Roll Call [Blog], 1/23/13,
[ http://atr.rollcall.com/new-york-former-rep-mike-mcmahon-eyeing-congressional-bid/ ]). Joshua Miller's post says that Wednesday evening Former Democratic Rep. Michael E. McMahon said that he is "... [c]ertainly taking a look at... a comeback bid in New York’s Staten Island-based 11th District.... [and that] .... he expects to make a final decision on the race soon."

McMahon was defeated by Republican Michael Grimm in the national anti-Obama backlash of 2010, in which McMahon lost by about 3 percentage points. In 2012, Grimm faced a series of terrible headlines about alleged ethical improprieties, but was never charged with any crime; and he was one of only a few first-term Republicans to win re-election in districts that were carried by President Barack Obama in 2012.

With almost two years to turn things around, Grimm might be having some money problems, though. At the end of the last election cycle, Grimm had $242,000 in cashas of November 26, 2012 according to the FEC, but he also showed $596,000 in debt.

The Roll Call posting by Joshua Miller had been picked up and linked by Colin Campbell in this morning's "Morning Read: ‘What Did Beyoncé Sing and When Did She Sing It?’ "; to which Colin made this ominous sounding observation, "... 2014′s lower, non-presidential turnout would present new challenges for Democrats [in Grimm's 11th C.D.]. That is, unless the investigation into Mr. Grimm’s fundraising yields more bad headlines for the incumbent" ([http://politicker.com/2013/01/morning-read-what-did-beyonce-sing-and-when-did-she-sing-it/]).

Now, would all of that be more ominous sounding for Mr. McMahon and the Democrats, or for Mr. Grimm and the Republicans ?

Or, in other words, how the GOP opposition in New York was lost at sea -- or put in Hannibal Lecter's meat locker

Yesterday's NY Times article is entitled, "Intent on Being First, Cuomo Used All Means to Enact Gun Limits" and it says that it's by Thomas Kaplan and Danny Hakim and that it's about a landmark anti-gin bill (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/nyregion/cuomo-used-all-his-means-to-pass-gun-control-package.html?pagewanted=1&src=recg ); but in reality this is the story of a sea change that is written on the wind.

What "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger had to say about a bunch of commercial fishermen from Gloucester is the same take away as what Kaplan and Hakim had to say about the Republicans in their piece -- with Cuomo playing the storm and what was once a "Republican Majority" in the New York State Senate playing the fishermen on the Andrea Gail. Of course, in Kaplan's and Hakim's article the tragic end of the hapless crew is left to the imagination ( and some GOP happy talkers will even say that it's possible that the GOP senate guys can have an ending more like the castaways on Gilligan's Island, but like everything else in the New York GOP, that's a pipe dream not a plot line).

Since, the Times' article is all about the sausage making behind a single and signal piece of legislation favored by the governor, it looks like Andrew Cuomo is quite a competent butcher and, indeed, a fine sausage maker -- so he can proudly say "Ich bin ein berlinermaker". It's also clear that Cuomo's sausage recipe is suggestive of something characteristic of the cuisine of a Hannibal Lecter --- there are lots of GOP body parts in it. So the GOP guys behind Dean Skelos and Tom Libous should take heed that their "Hannibal the Cannible" antagonist is a serial killer who probably likes his sausages to be linked, daisy-chain style.

[btw, to bad Brooklyn's own Marty Golden didn't get a mention the way Tom Libous did. At least TL can tell people the NY Times says he's the state senate's "second-ranking Republican and the governor’s closest ally in the Republican caucus."]

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

In a program largely devoted to other matters, a late call from Conservative Liam McCabe moved the discussion to an entirely different subject --- Preferences for Candidates for Mayor of New York --- and in a surprising revelation of their personal preference, both Gene and Russell spoke out in favor of John Catsimatidis

After much evasion and then parenthetically qualifying their answers to the phoned-in question by Mr. Liam McCabe, a new Club President in the Brooklyn Conservative Party, both Gene Berardelli and Russell Gallo expressed their current preference for John Catsimatidis. Mr. McCabe seemed gratified by the mention of Catsimatidis and suggested that for the first time in several elections, the Republicans and the Conservatives could unite behind a single candidate.

In arriving at their preference, both Messrs. B and G mentioned that Kings County Leader Craig Eaton supported Adolfo Carrion, but they then specifically noted that Carrion was not a Republican. (In an interesting aside unrelated to the Brooklyn GOP Radio program, Gene Berardelli, speaking as the Brooklyn GOP Law Chairman, expressed an opinion to the Crain's Insider in response to a Roger Stone article in Stone's own blog --- Berardelli clearly implied that Carrion would require the support of three out of five County Chairmen for a Wilson-Pakula, not a majority of the weighted votes of all the county committees.)

Among the reasons Gallo and Berardelli cited for preferring Mr. Catsimatidis was loyalty, with the Brooklyn GOP Radio duo pointing out that John C. had a long history of supporting the Brooklyn GOP and its candidates.

This little item from the pen/keyboard of former Congressman Bob Turner's key man in Brooklyn came floating in over the electronic transom:

'Former Congressman Bob Turner Statement on Election Victory of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu *** [Queens, NY] – Former Congressman Bob Turner, who was a staunch ally of Israel during his time in office, issued the following statement on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s victory in the Israeli election: *** "Benjamin Netanyahu is the right leader for Israel as they work to build a lasing peace, while dealing with ongoing threats, especially from Iran. While in Congress, I was a strong supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu because the United States has no stronger ally in the region that shares our commitment to democracy and peace. It is good to know that Netanyahu will be leading Israel for another term, and I congratulate him on his victory." *** In January, 2012, shortly after his special election, Turner visited Israel and met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu'."
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Is it any wonder that the President almost immediately signed onto what was proposed by the House Republican Leadership ( See "Obama ‘will not oppose’ House GOP plan to suspend debt limit until May" by Lori Montgomery and Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post - WPPolitics 1/22/13 [http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-republicans-plant-to-keep-debt-limit-but-suspend-it-until-may/2013/01/22/14bc4f3e-64ae-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story.html ]) ?

The House Republican Leadership put forward a novel plan to suspend enforcement of the federal debt limit through May 18th. Supposedly, this move lifts the threat of a government default and relieves some of the crisis atmosphere that has surrounded the Republicans' recent budget battles with President Obama.

The proposed suspension of the debt ceiling would not resolve the dispute over how to control the national debt; however, after the “fiscal cliff” episode at the end of last year, it would buy congressional Republicans a little more time to continue the debate on the debt and the level of current spending without having another economy-busting deadline looming just around the corner. On May 19th the debt limit would automatically be reset at a higher level that reflects the additional borrowing between now and then. This measure is set for a vote in the House on Wednesday.

It's important to note that the Republican Leadership in the House of Representatives made an important pivot in their so-called plan to pass a short-term increase in the debt ceiling. Rather than increase the debt ceiling by a specific amount, in the range of few hundred billion dollars, to buy themselves time for further talks on the budget, they have proposed instead to "suspend" the debt ceiling for a fixed period.

Some critics on the right have already argued that what the Republican House Leadership is proposing for political expediency is a blatant abdication of its congressional authority under the Constitution (See Mike Flynn's "GOP 'Suspends' Constitution in Debt Fight" in Brietbart-Big Government, 1/22/13 [ http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/01/22/GOP-suspends-constitution-in-debt-fight ]). According to that view, Article 1 of the US Constitution gives Congress the exclusive authority to borrow money to fund the government. Until World War I, Congress approved each and every issuance of U.S. Bonds. The borrowing demands of WW I made this impractical, so Congress authorized the government to freely borrow up to a statutory limit, a "debt ceiling," which when reached would require the Treasury to go back to Congress if it needed to do additional borrowing. As a result, the government had more flexibility to manage its affairs while preserving the Constitutional principle that Congress continued to control the purse strings.

The House Republican Leadership's current proposal to suspend the debt ceiling until May 18th completely violates this underlying principle. If enacted, the government's borrowing authority would be unlimited through mid-May. Arguably, the government could borrow trillions while the debt ceiling was suspended, provided either the markets or the Fed could meet the new supply of debt.

In addition, the Republican move would establish a very bad precedent. Many Democrats have been pushing to simply eliminate the idea of the debt ceiling entirely. The Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats have found the recent hold ups on raising the debt ceiling annoying and an impediment to expanding government. Now, however, the Republican proposal to "suspend" the ceiling gives at least some support to the Democrats' position. Since they could easily argue, "If we can suspend the debt ceiling for three months, why not a year, why not permanently ? If this Congress were to surrender on the constitutional principle behind the concept of the debt ceiling by this "temporary suspension" of that ceiling, regardless of the duration or the nifty political tactic to be served, where and how could this Congress or even later Congresses reassert the principle.

An obviously purposeful remark, expressing an item of keen personal interest in a local newspaper, suggests that a newly minted Democrat Congressman from a district in the middle of Brooklyn has some questions that he wants President Obama to answer about his connections to spots near that Congressman's own stomping grounds.

In an article where Congressman Jeffries indicated that if push came to shove, he would‘get Brooklyn’ onto Republican Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan; Jeffries said that there was something that he wanted to take up with President Obama all by himself, a report that Barack Obama had lived for some time in Park Slope, Brooklyn (see "Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: If push comes to shove, I will ‘get Brooklyn’ on Rep. Paul Ryan," by Eli Rosenberg, Courier Life - Brooklyn Daily, 1/21/13 [http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2013/4/all_hakeemandryan_2013_01_25_bk.html ]).Among othe things, the Courrier Life article reported that Jeffries said he is he is looking forward to his first encounter with the world’s most powerful former Brooklynite, President Obama, who in 2012 was first reported to have been an ex-Park Sloper with an actual address in the Slope. Congressman Jeffries was specifically quoted by Courier Life's Eli Rosenberg as saying, “The first chance I get to visit the White House, I will raise the question of President Obama’s Park Slope residency.” Given that so few Republicans in congress are willing to take on items of President Obama's questionable personal history, it is quite surprising to see an African-American Congressman from a largely minority district in Brooklyn doing so.

Republican Joseph Lhota had a comfortable conversation with Rosanna Scotto and Dave Price about his mayoral aspirations and several contemporary matters on the local Fox station's broadcast of Good Day New York (Good Day New York/myfoxny, 1/21/13 [http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20638018/joe-lhota]).

On NYC labor matters he said that he comes from a family with a strong labor background, but that he could be tough-but-fair with all of the city unions, When questioned as to how he might have handled negotiations with the teachers union over something like mandatory teacher evaluations or the loss of state and federal funding for the city schools, the new candidate's answer was circumspect but substantial. Lhota first said that it wouldn't be fair to talk about a lot of things that did go on behind closed doors between the mayor, other officials and the union. He did say that name-calling wasn't helpful and pointed out "... one of the things I've been known for is the willingness to talk to everybody. There is nothing that can't be worked out." He said you just stay at the table and keep talking for as long as it takes.

When Lhota's was compared to the very likely Democratic Party contender, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, he answered that he's known and worked with "Christine" for twenty years. And that compared to Ms. Quinn, "My background together shows I have the leadership skills to lead the City to the next level. Running a legislative process and managing a problem and performing and hitting all the goals and exceeding all the goals is a different skill set. The mayor of NY is a CEO. Everything in my background leads me to that position."

He also distinguished himself from his former boss, Rudy Guiliani, but said he would adopt Guiliani's practice of conducting in person Town Halls in all neighborhoods and communities throughout New York City, even where he might not be very popular.

Monday, January 21, 2013

On a day with very few Republican-oriented stories Politico's top political reporters, Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman, went all-in covering Rand Paul's being at an event called "The Charleston Meeting," a South Carolina-based conservative power event hosted by businessman Mallory Factor, a mover and shaker in the GOP

According to Burns and Haberman, Rand Paul was a featured speaker at the Charleston Meeting, along with NRA President David Keene ( see Alexander Burns' and Maggie Haberman's post in Politico, 1/21/13 [ http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2013/01/21/in-charleston-rand-paul-clarifies-gun-control-stance]). That isn't an accidental pairing, since Senator Paul recently defended the NRA against criticism from New Jersey's GOP Governor, Chris Christie, who knocked an NRA Web video that mentioned the security measures taken to President Barack Obama’s children.

Rand Paul has made no secret of his interest in a presidential run perhaps as early as 2016. The timing and symbolism of this South Carolina visit by Paul is unmistakable. Also the South Carolina event is an offshoot of another regular conservative gathering called "The Monday Meeting," for which Mr. Factor had been a major factor in promoting in New York City.

In addition to the Charleston event, Senator Paul has taken other steps that are seen as traditional preludes for a presidential campaign. He has visited Iowa and New Hampshire during the past year. In addition, Senator Paul recently returned from a trip to Israel, and Mallory Factor and South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly were among those who traveled with the Kentucky Senator on that overseas trip.

Top Paul advisers confirmed his attendance at the event in Charleston; and also indicated Senator Paul would be available to talk to the media later in the afternoon.

In addition, to reporting about Paul's speaking about gun rights at the event, a Charleston paper/blog made this report of other remarks that Senator Paul made later today about running in 2016:

"When asked if he was considering a 2016 run, Paul said, 'I think it's a little early, but it's not too early to be involved in the national debate. I think the Republican Party, we didn't fare too well in the presidential election. We didn't fare too well four years ago in the presidential election. I think as the Republican Party we need to look to new leadership, people with a different approach to things, and I think people who have a little bit of a libertarian Republican bent may attract people who haven't been attracted'."
[ http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2013/01/21/in-charleston-rand-paul-clarifies-gun-control-stance ]

The first in a series of reflections on the statements that Russell Gallo, Republican State Committee Member, District Leader and Member of the Brooklyn GOP Executive Committee, and "President" of the "Official" Brooklyn Young Republicans might be heard to say into the blogosphere on blog-talk radio, post on this, that or the other blog, twitter to his "friends", whisper in very guarded circumstances to his confederates or otherwise express so as to come to my attention

Item first: Yesterday (20 Jan) Mr. Gallo made this tweet to some of his friends in the twitterverse, "Russell C. Gallo@RussGallo .... I like bipartisanship! The republicans and conservatives shud [sic] always work together!"

This is a brilliant example of both Russell's wit and wisdom ( Please don't confuse Mr. Gallo's first name with Bertrand's very last [The Right Honourable The Earl Russell], since this post is completely about Mr. Gallo and his comment ).

In addition to the superficial witticism about bipartisanship having something to do with the Conservatives rather than the Democrats, Mr Gallo's apparent little bit of whimsy truly rises to an entirely different and more subtle plane entirely. You see, Russell Gallo is making an additional insiders' joke to his closest "Young Republican" friends as well as to one of his closest friends and allies inside the Brooklyn GOP hierarchy. Gallo is speaking to these friends with literal irony. Since he is speaking among his "Young Republican" and other insider brethren, his ironic statement is in effect a charge that the Conservative Party in Brooklyn and elsewhere does not "always work together" with Republicans. Of course, since his remarks lack dramatic irony, he is practicing an art much as a court jester might, using the well-known opposite meaning of his words both for humor and to escape any condemnation for disloyalty.

We have it on good authority that Gallo and company are intensely jealous of the influence, prestige and patronage enjoyed by the Conservatives. This little bit of word play by Gallo: "... I like bipartisanship! The republicans and conservatives shud [sic] always work together..." only confirms what many already know. In addition to demonstrating a proper and virtuous level of pro-Republican partisanship, it bespeaks both sharp humor and keen insight by good old RG.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Any loyal Republican would have to agree with Bob Capano, who is demonstrating rare leadership during this otherwise dark time for the Brooklyn GOP

Only one week ago a critical post on this blog had warned Kings County Republican Leader Craig Eaton of just about the same thing

Mr. Capano's January 20th statement is as follows:

"In Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis (if he officially announces his candidacy), NYC Republicans have two outstanding choices who have the qualifications and resources to be Mayor. They understand the need to create jobs, support businesses, and keep NYC safe. There is no reason for our party and its leaders to look outside of these two fine Republicans to be our nominee."

Bob Capano recently served as District Director for Brooklyn-Queens Republican Congressman Bob Turner, has served on the staffs of various other elected officials, is a Past-president of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club and twice ran for public office in Southwest Brooklyn as a Republican .

In an earlier post on this blog I had critiqued and admonished the Brooklyn County Leader in a manner similar to what Bob Capano is doing today. At that time I observed that "... [a]fter weeks of jockeying by [Republican County Leaders] Eaton and Savino, it was obvious that [non-Republican Adolfo] Carrion's GOP candidacy had gathered no additional support when the five county leaders gathered [on Thursday 1/10/13] for a dinner meeting on Staten Island. Just as none of the other leaders made any moves toward his candidate, Eaton made no moves in their direction either .... [Said Eaton] 'I still believe that [non-Republican]Adolfo Carrion has the best chance of winning [the mayor's race] in November'." (See "KCRP Chairmam Craig Eaton's continued support for Alfonso Carrion for mayor could turn into a major embarrassment for the Brooklyn GOP and Republicans city-wide" posted below on SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2013).

In a later post on the same topic the following observation had been made , "...Brooklyn Republican Chairman Craig Eaton, who formally supports Adolfo Carrion, has had good things to say about Mr. Lhota; and since Carrion trailed badly in the Quinnipiac Poll, many expect that Eaton will quickly shift his support to Lhota" (See "Today Joe Lhota announced his run to be Mayor of the City of New York on the Republican line --- Lhota already leads the Republican field by double digits" posted below on THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013).

A weak appearance on ABC's Stephanopoulos program shows that Rick Santorum still isn't ready for the big league media pitching that he'll need to handle with authority in the 2016 race

Rick Santorum was a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and was the runner up for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2012. He is also the author of "American Patriots" and the co-founder, along with his wife Karen Santorum of "Patriot Voices," a so-called "grassroots and online community of Americans from across the country " During 2012 Rick Santorum stumped for the Romney-Ryan ticket as well as for many other GOP candidates. He is expected to make another run for the presidency in 2016 as one of the recognizable "conservatives" in whatever field develops.

Santorum once used guns and gun rights to get into the U.S. Senate. Just this week, Mr. Santorum specifically addressed President Barack Obama's anti-gun proposals. Those are some of the reasons that he's regarded as a "conservative" spokesman and defender of Americans' gun rights as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Today on the ABC "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" broadcast, when the panel discussion turned to Obama's gun control proposals, Rick Santorum was confronted by Cokie Roberts about high capacity magazines and Jennifer Granholm about armor-piercing bullets. Santorum tried to be evasive and talk about Hollywood, and violent movies and computer games, but the women were having none of that. When they pressed him , he didn't have any answer that he was really comfortable giving, so he tried a disingenuous one -- he said something about some times crooks and bad guys who break into your home wear armor. Granholm then prompted him by suggesting that more often it's policemen who wear armor. Santorum still didn't properly respond.

You see, Liberal/Progressives know very well why Americans need their guns and why most Americans' guns need to be taken away --- it's the so-called "conservatives" who don't --- or don't have the courage to talk about it.

Most people defending the Second Amendment rights of Americans ignore or are otherwise silent about the "militia" part of the Second Amendment, and how it's all about Americans' right to keep and bear arms to oppose armed and armored agents of any government, local, state or federal, braking down the doors of Americans at will. Rick Santorum's patriot voice was not exceptional in that regard this week with George Stephanopoulos, Cokie Roberts and Jennifer Granholm.

The Kings County Conservative Party doesn't seem to like it one bit, but can't give proper voice to their frustration

Up to now I hadn't made any mention of the vote of State Senator Simcha Felder in favor of Governor Cuomo 's anti-gun law simply because he is not formally a "Republican" from Kings County. However, I now see that was a mistake. Felder was endorsed by the Conservative Party, Felder aligns with the GOP caucus and Felder was strongly assisted in his run for the state senate by State Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos.

It is not surprising that the Kings County Conservative Party is somewhat nonplussed that both of it's endorsed state senators from Brooklyn voted in favor of Cuomo's gun bill, but it's somewhat obvious that they are clueless as to how to address that problem. Conservative County Leader Kassar is apparently in a witness protection program in Minot, North Dakota under an assumed name and is operating through surrogates on the issue of the new anti-gun law.

After a tough-talking start, the Conservative Party Blog seemed to lose its voice about the NYS Senate's passage of Cuomo's “Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act” or “SAFE ACT” ( See "New York State Senate Needs More Balls: Was Passage of Fast Tracked Anti-Gun Legislation a Cave-in to Cuomo’s Political Aspirations? What do you think? January 15th, 2013 | Author: Ross Brady" [http://brooklynconservativeparty.com/]). The problematic nature of the posting about the senate passage of the gun bill is reflected by it's interrogative voice and style rather than being something more assertive. Could the problem be that there is no way to rationally address any "Cave-in to Cuomo’s Political Aspirations" by the state senate without mentioning the complicity of Brooklyn's only Conservative-Republican State Senator Martin Golden or his Conservative-endorsed sidekick Simcha Felder.

It's all so very much like past discussions of the state senate's handling of "the love that dare not speak its name" gay marriage bill. Only in the case of the current discussion of the senate's passage of Cuomo's “Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act” or “SAFE ACT” it's about the Conservative-endorsed state senators that are now, each of them, like a " love that dare not speak its name".

The liberal-progressive argument of "last" (but soon-becoming "first") resort on altogether too many issues is the impact on those least able to fend for themselves, children --- and even better, "children with special needs"

The Daily News contribution a couple of days ago was "The city's school bus strike hits disabled students the hardest -- With several subways missing elevator access and cabs lacking adequate storage space for wheelchairs, parents of special needs children already grow frustrated" ( post by RACHEL MONAHAN , CORINNE LESTCH AND RICH SCHAPIRO / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/ THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013, 10:00 PM [ http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/city-school-bus-strike-hits-disabled-students-hardest-article-1.1242273#ixzz2IRhceMYE]). The Times chimed in yesterday with FRANCES ROBLES' piece "With Bus Strike, Fragile Students Face Hard Trips" (published: January 18, 2013 [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/nyregion/school-bus-strike-poses-challenge-for-special-needs-students.html]).

Why doesn't somebody look into the liberal/progressive PR machine that tirelessly works to make these kinds of emotive and sentimental pitches on public issue after public issue so that public policy is always about affect and never about effect. More important, it's why politics and public policy is driven by grossly inflated "perceived" needs, and not by an estimate of the real needs of certain people, the people-with-needs' reasonable ability to pay the costs for the services they need, and if necessary the public's reasonable ability to assist those in need from contributions from the public fisc.

Everybody needs to take note of the wisdom, insight and JUSTICE of Ebeneezer Scrooge before an obvious Christmas Eve stroke rendered him a helpless and hopeless liberal/progressive idiot.

Leading Republican Mayoral Candidate Joseph Lhota, Gives Some Of His Views To CBS 2 and CBS News quotes the outlook of some, " If Anyone Scares The New York City Democrats, It’s Joe Lhota..."

CBS 2 - New York posted a report that Joseph Lhota, was interviewed yesterday. After making his candidacy official, "He sat down with CBS 2 political reporter Marcia Kramer to share his views on everything from tolls to tickets to taxes." ( "NEWS -- Pundit: If Anyone Scares The New York City Democrats, It’s Joe Lhota -- GOP Mayoral Candidate Breaks Silence, Gives Some Of His Views To CBS 2," CBS News, January 18, 2013 10:07 PM [http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/18/pundit-if-anyone-scares-the-new-york-city-democrats-its-joe-lhota/ ]).

CBS 2 reports that "[Lhota] is a frank, law and order kind of guy who minces no words. Take the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk program.... 'Anyone who says we should eliminate stop-and-frisk really is putting the city in danger,' Lhota said."

Lhota was equally frank about the matters of tolls, tickets and taxes: "...[E]ven though he’s a mass transit guy, he said he will not be the one to toll the East River bridges.... [Taxes] should be reduced or eliminated. As for tickets, the Bloomberg administration gives out far too many of them.... I’ve heard the complaints in all five boroughs. Businessmen are outraged at what used to be every now and then enforcement...."

Also from the Marcia Kramer interview: "Lhota, who resigned last month as head of the MTA to seek the city’s top job, has both public and private sector experience. He was first deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani.... is a Republican in a heavily Democratic city.... [and he is] fiscally conservative, but he is pro-choice and favors marriage equality. He said he would perform a same-sex marriage if asked."

As important as anything that CBS News reported about what Joe Lhota said about himself is what CBS News says others are saying about him. "Pundits say his late entry into the race has already changed the multi-candidate Republican primary. *** 'I think at this point he is the Republican primary,' Baruch College’s Micheline Blum said. *** And his candidacy has also shaken up the Democrats at a time when the party thought it would finally have a chance of taking City Hall after 20 years of GOP victories. *** 'I certainly think Joe Lhota scares the Democratic candidates a whole lot more than any other Republican,' Blum said."

CBS 2 closed its Marcia Kramer report on Republican Mayoral Candidate Joseph Lhota with this very interesting comparison: "Lhota is also known for bluntly speaking his mind. After Hurricane Sandy, for example, he called Mayor Michael Bloomberg an idiot. Some, including political expert Blum, think that if he won he could turn out to be New York City’s Chris Christie."

The Friday, January 18, 2013 post "Compromise 101" by Russell Gallo misses the point that "compromise" is how we got where we are

Sounding an awful lot like he was channeling Neville Chamberlain, Russell Gallo yesterday wrote, "While compromise is not always advisable especially when they [sic] involve core principles sometimes it is unavoidable...." Wrong ! That ignores the fact that one only needs to assert, and follow through on, a simple principle like, "There will be no compromise and no surrender..." That's the difference between somebody like Churchill and somebody like Chamberlain or Baldwin.

You see, Mr. Gallo went all over the lot and one can't follow because one can't make out where he started. For example, look at what Gallo said is Prerequisite #2, "... If the bill introduced is unconstitutional, then vote against it." That seems pretty straight forward; would Gallo want us to compromise on that? Presumably, one hopes, not --- or should that be --- hopefully, one presumes, not ? Actually, I'm less sure of Gallo's intent than my particular choice of words.

My consternation is not assuaged when I see Russell Gallo advance premises such as this: "While it can be argued that states can legislate the number of rounds that can be held in a magazine it is an issue that can and should have been debated rationally and possibly compromised on in the end." How does one compromise on whether "states can legislate the number of rounds that can be held in a magazine"? Let's let that pass and move on since that's what Mr. Gallo did.

Gallo quickly moved to another complex but flawed premise: "The Democrats want 7 rounds to be the maximum number allowed under the law in New York State. The federal government wants the limit to be 10. The NRA wants no limit.... NY's SAFE Act limits ALL magazines to 7 rounds for EVERYONE." It is within the context of crafting a fix for the size magazines for police and accommodating to those competing "wants" and "NY's SAFE Act limits" that Mr. Gallo seeks to fashion his compromise. Why is any such compromise necessary ? Nobody has explained why policemen and national guardsmen would have greater needs than the rest of the law abiding citizenry for larger capacity magazines.

Besides, even if NY's SAFE Act were fixed by Gallo's great magazine compromise and a "middle [was achieved] that would make most people happy," it would not change a single fact about the NY SAFE Act's being a very bad piece of legislation that violates New York's citizens' Second Amendment rights.

Only through the bizarre hybrid power-sharing deal with IDC Democrats do Republicans get to share some of the perks of their now-and-again-gone majority -- And it looks like it won't be long before that's gone too

Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk will join the state Senate after election officials in Ulster County opened 90 ballots in her close race against George Amedore ( "Tkaczyk wins after picking up 54 votes in Ulster Co.", posted by Jimmy Vielkind, 1/18/13 Albany Times-Union [http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/176331/tkaczyk-wins-after-picking-up-tk-votes-in-ulster-count/ ]). Tkaczyk added a net of 54 additional votes as election commissioners opened 90 new ballots in the race — enough to erase Amedore’s prior 35-vote lead. There is one ballot in Albany County that remains to be counted Friday afternoon and one ballot in Montgomery County that was found this week, hoever neither will change the outcome.

According to Liz Benjamin ( "Now The Senate Coalition Means Something," YNN Capitol Tonight, 1/18/13 [http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/]), part of the IDC-Republican alliance is that both IDC Leader Klein and Republican Leader Skelos must agree on which legislation comes to the floor for a vote and, just as important, when. The coalition showed how it could work with the passage of Governor Cuomo's S.A.F.E. gun law, which passed the senate when Republicans added provisions that included various anti-crime measures that were key for it to get a vote on the floor.

It remains to be seen if the IDC-Republican coalition can hang together on various other Democrat-favored measures, such as campaign finance reform and an increase to New York State's Minimum Wage Law; especially when liberal advocacy groups aligned with the Democratic conference point to the Democrats clear numerical majority in the Upper Chamber.

Governor Cuomo’s Assault On The 2nd Amendment.

A Sad Day For All Law-Abiding New Yorkers.

Jan 17, 2013 12:16 am | Brooklyn Young Republican Club

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When it is time to look back on the accomplishments of Andrew Cuomo’s tenure as Governor quite possibly during a presidential run three years from now – we will be able to give him credit for throwing his full weight behind a new law that criminals will never follow, will create more criminals out of formerly law-abiding people, and brings disrespect for Constitutional freedoms to a new low. This week, the New York State Legislature passed, with strong political pressure from the now-crusading Governor, a victim disarmament bill – referred to commonly, but wrongly, as a “gun control” bill.

The Governor’s newfound interest in disarming New Yorkers is undoubtedly connected to the horrific events in Connecticut last month, and politicians are now tripping over themselves to appear to be “doing something” in response. Talk of “gun control” is everywhere, including in Washington, D.C.; we are now hearing of an impending unilateral action by the President based on the findings of a “study” led by the Vice President. Ironically, it was the Obama Administration that demonstrated a complete lack of “gun control” when it allowed, through the ill-advised “Fast and Furious” operation, firearms to be transported to Mexico, ostensibly so that they could be tracked and assist with anti-drug cartel efforts. One of the “Fast and Furious” weapons was used in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent; and yet the cabinet officer responsible for overseeing the operation, Attorney General Eric Holder, is still serving during Obama’s second term, despite being held in contempt of Congress for his refusal to assist in its investigation. The President should look to “control” his own guns before forcing new restrictions on people who have never used a weapon illegally.

Governor Cuomo spent the first two years of his term implementing change in Albany and championing “transparency”. Even though he left plenty of loopholes for big-government growth and runaway taxation and spending to continue, he was the first leader in Albany in many years to at least talk about real change. As the 2013 political season began, though, he started to sound like he was appealing to the most far-left wing of his party, as if trying to capture delegates in Iowa and New Hampshire. The recent State of the State speech ignored real issues – most notably the issue of gas drilling, which has the promise of bringing jobs and real opportunities to some of the poorest parts of New YorkState – and instead trotted out the old Democrat mainstays of abortion and guns, among several other non-issues. When the legislative session began, the Governor used an emergency measure to force an immediate vote on his “gun control” bill, not allowing a reasonable amount of time for it to even be read by the legislators – about as un-transparent an act of government as could be imagined. Cuomo boasted of ending “dysfunction” in Albany – but two days into this legislative session, one begins to wonder what the real benefit of a “functional” legislature is.

Sadly, many senators of our own party decided to side with Andrew Cuomo’s popularity over their principles and supported this bill. Senator Lee Zeldin of SuffolkCounty, an Army reserve officer, was absent from the vote due to military service. Zeldin stated that he would have voted against the bill had he been present during the vote. Sen. Zeldin’s military service is fortunate for America but unfortunate for Long Island; the other eight Republican senators representing Nassau and Suffolk caved in to Cuomo’s presidential ambitions and supported the bill. Considering the razor-thin margins by which several senators were re-elected, it is highly likely that Republicans will either go to the polls on primary day to support candidates who will actually stand up for their beliefs, or simply stay home on election day because their party has abandoned them.

As New York Post reporter Fred Dicker noted, this bill will not only restrict Constitutional freedoms in an unreasonable way; it will add one more reason to the long list of reasons why living in New York (and Upstate New York in particular) has simply become too difficult and undesirable, further encouraging people to join the millions who have already left New York for more hospitable states. In the vast rural areas of Upstate New York, the use of firearms as a tool for hunting, sporting and self-defense is a fact of life. Hard as it may be for us Downstaters to imagine – when hunting for food is a strange and foreign-sounding concept, and when the NYPD can respond to a call in five minutes or less – people Upstate live a very different lifestyle, and Governor Cuomo has shown that lifestyle tremendous disrespect.

While in reality a firearm is nothing more than an instrument that can be used for good or evil like any other, the Governor – who has no shortage of guns, carried by State Troopers, to protect him – considers “gun control” a tool to raise his national profile and further his ambitions. If there was ever a time for Republicans to stop hitting the snooze button and start acting like a party that respects personal freedom and is willing to stand up for it in government at all levels, it is now.

By Paul Hanson.
Board of Directors Member
Brooklyn Young Republican Club.
Going Strong Since 1880.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Joe Lhota, the recently departed M.T.A. chairman and former deputy mayor for Rudy Giuliani, filed papers with the New York City Campaign Finance Board. He is now, officially, running for mayor.

Just a few days ago Celeste Katz of the Daily Politics/Daily News had reported that Lhota already was ahead of the rest of the Republican candidates according to a Quinnipiac Poll ( "Still A Mystery To Most, Joe Lhota Leads The 2013 GOP Field For NYC Mayor: Q Poll" [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/01/still-a-mystery-to-most-joe-lhota-leads-the-2013-gop-field-for-nyc-mayor-q-pol ]).

Given that Joseph Lhota is a long-time Republican, lives in Brooklyn, has a solid connection to Rudy Giuliani and already is significantly ahead of the Republican pack, it can be expected that he will be the favored candidate of most Republicans in Brooklyn in the event of a primary. Even Brooklyn Republican Chairman Craig Eaton, who formally supports Adolfo Carrion, has had good things to say about Mr. Lhota; and since Carrion trailed badly in the Quinnipiac Poll, many expect that Eaton will quickly shift his support to Lhota.

It seems that everybody who thinks can agree that the Andrew Cuomo S.A.F.E. Anti-Gun Law passed by clear "bi-partisan" majorities in both chambers of the NYS Legislature has a lot wrong with it --- and one of the main reasons, factors and causes of that was the secretive and high-pressure political process by which the bill was brought up, crafted and rushed through passage into law.

Gatemouth's 1/17/13 post "THE GATEWAY (ALBANY DELIBERATE PROCESS EDITION)" [ http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/the_gateway_albany_deliberate_process_edition.htmldeftly ] deftly links a very important item in the ongoing greater gun control -- gun safety debate in New York State and the nation. The New York Times Editorial for January 15th, "New York Leads on Gun Control" impressed Mr. ...mouth and it impressed me. I recommend it to "my brother" Republican, Russell Gallo, who expressed many of the same misgivings on the "Brooklyn GOP [Blog-talk] Radio" program last night.

The Times 1/15/13 editorial dealing with the gun measure recently enacted in New York State
[ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/opinion/new-york-leads-on-gun-control.html?ref=opinion&_r=0 ] is very thoughtful and thought provoking. Even though I completely disagree with the Times' editorialist's opinion about what he/she/they view/s as meritorious aspects of the so-called S.A.F.E. Law, I do agree that even for those dubious purposes, the law is flawed and in need of immediate revision.

There is one area in which the editorial page TImesman, Gatemouth, Russell Gallo and I are in closer alignment. The process by which this law was conceived, gestated and born was unnaturally tortured and abbreviated , even by Albany standards, and the result was something that some might see as monstrous and others as significantly malformed.

According to the Times editorial, ".... The bill was muscled through with disturbing speed after days of secret negotiations and a late-night vote Monday by state senators who had barely read the complicated measure before passing it. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed it into law on Tuesday, obviously calculated that it was necessary to move quickly before gun advocates could marshal serious opposition. Even so, Albany’s customarily top-down and largely undemocratic legislative methods were inappropriate for such a complex bill."

Aside from a possibly implied excuse for the governor's motives, the Times is completely on point here.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Republican Leaders Russell Gallo and Gene Dougherty say that the Governor and State Legislature outlawed high capacity magazines for all policemen and National Guardsmen in New York State with the recently enacted gun law

If it's true, that should come as a a big surprise to people like "Republican" State Senator Marty Golden who strongly supported Governor Cuomo's anti-gun law, but who along with his staff obviously never did read the bill or do any thinking about its consequences

All of that would clearly place State Senator Golden & Co. among the class of people Russell Gallo calls "LOW INFORMATION VOTERS"; and by what he said about the supporters of the governor's gun bill all night, it's clear that's what RG wanted to convey to his listeners about GOLDEN -- even though he never mentioned him by name.

If you were listening to tonight's program as part of your "social drinking" cover for your serious drinking problem, and you were using the phrase "low information voters" as the magic phrase in any drinking game you were playing, you would have been well on you way to Drunk City by the end of the show, or at least as far as Tipsyville . Gallo also added that many people who listened to the program were "low information voters." Sadly, Russell Gallo lacks personal insight when he [over]uses that term and fails to apply it to himself. Gallo is still largely de-rasinated as to his personal frustration and dispirit in all matters political, but lately I detect a spark of inspiration that's fighting to overcome some of his earlier bad choices.

T.J. Basile appeared on the show as a guest and he was obviously put there to tout the candidacy of Adolfo Carrion, a liberal "registered independent," former Democrat BP of the Bronx and former member of the Obama Administration, in addition to being the candidate personally supported by Kings County Republican Chairman Craig Eaton. Asked about whether Carrion should get the support of the GOP leaders for a Wilson-Pakula, Mr. Basile answered that the Republican establishment in New York City very much wants to hold onto the office of mayor and that requires reaching out to other communities -- especially the Latino community. Clearly according to Basile's comments, the principal reason to support the Adolfo Carrion candidacy is that Carrion is Latino. In other words, the GOP must participate in 60s and 70s style affirmative action in selecting its candidate for mayor if it hopes to win. How "John Lindsey" of Basile, Eaton and the rest of the GOP establishment ! --- Isn't that how the GOP sank the City the first time ?

Why is Staten Island Republican County Leader Scamardella talking up Congressman Grimm's "admirable political courage"? --- What really happened before and during these votes, and what will be the repercussions inside the House GOP Caucus, if any?

After the House passed all the parts of the aid bill last night, Congressman Grimm is reported to have said, in part:

"I have poured my heart and soul into this effort - working tirelessly to secure the support to pass this bill and bring relief to the people of Staten Island.... There's no question that this vote should have happened much sooner; however, I am proud to return to my district knowing that we won the battle in the House. Once this bill becomes law, we will have the rest of the funding to continue helping our homeowners and small business owners get back on their feet, begin repairing NYC's devastated infrastructure, and give the Army Corps of Engineers the resources it needs to begin fortifying our shoreline.... This funding will never make up for the loss and devastation that was felt by so many throughout Staten Island and the region, but it can help restore some semblance of normality to lives that have been turned upside down.... I am grateful to represent such an extraordinary and resilient constituency, and feel truly privileged to play a role in delivering the aid needed to help our communities rebuild." (Quoted material from "House approves $50.5B Sandy aid bill" by Dean Balsamini, Staten Island Advance, 1/15/13; http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/house_approves_507b_sandy_aid.html )

UNFORTUNATELY, CONGRESSMAN GRIMM HAS LEFT A LOT UNSAID ABOUT HIS PART IN THE LEGISLATIVE FIASCO THAT HAS HELD UP DISASTER RELIEF MONEY FROM THE FEDS FOR WHAT SOON WILL BE MORE THAN THREE MONTHS

This passage sticks out like a sore thumb in Dean Balsimini's SI Advance article about Grimm and the passage of the "Hurricane Sandy" Relief Bills by the House: "Robert Scamardella, chairman of Staten Island's Republican Party said: 'I know that the congressman worked extraordinarily hard on this and exhibited admirable political courage. This is a good day for all of Staten Island, particularly the victims of Hurricane Sandy'." Since, Republican Party Chairman Scamardella wants to make this about Grimm and partisan GOP politics, let's look at things a little closer and in a more inside the GOP sort of way, shall we. Just what kind of "...admirable political courage..." are we talking about when it comes to my Conservative-Republican Congressman Michael Grimm?

In a little over two weeks, conservative Republican members of Michael Grimm's majority caucus in congress have twice told Grimm and the constituents of Grimm's Brooklyn and Staten Island Congressional District to "Drop Dead" --- DOES CONGRESSMAN GRIMM (R-C, NY) HAVE ANY EXPLANATION FOR THAT ?

Yesterday, when the votes finally came to the floor, the House of Representatives approved an additional $50.7 billion in federal aid for states affected by Hurricane Sandy by a vote of 241 to 180. Only 49 Republicans voted for that bill, while 179 GOP representatives voted against it. (The bill in question was for $17 billion in aid; another $33.7 billion in aid was accomplished via amendment and was approved by a 228-192 vote, consisting of 190 Democrats, with even fewer Republican crossovers - 38.) The aid approved today is in addition to the nearly $10 billion allocated earlier in the month, meaning that the total House package of $60 billion roughly matches the amount previously approved by the U.S. Senate, however because of technical differences and the Senate's passage having been done in the prior session, the relief bill must be taken up again in the Senate. So, as it stands, things still aren't done yet.

Apparently, all the Republican opposition in the House, all the fiscal extremist groups demanding Congress not allocate that level of disaster relief, all the other groups demanding it not be done unless cuts of an equal amount were first made elsewhere in the budget , and all the threats made at John Boehner by Republicans such as New York Representatives like Peter King and Michael Grimm ended with those votes. Really, just like that; the tempest in a teapot is over and done with, once and for all -- no price to be paid at a later date ! Pardon my surprise and my incredulity.

Doesn't my Conservative Republican Representative, Michael Grimm, still need to explain why all of this wasn't accomplished in 2012 during the last session, shortly after the Senate had passed its piece of the legislation? Doesn't my Conservative Republican Representative, Michael Grimm, still need to explain why House Republicans had to delay making their 178 or 191 "No" votes until January 15th. Doesn't my Conservative Republican Representative, Michael Grimm, still need to explain why he could only convince 37 to 48 other Republicans to vote along with him ? (Btw, that number includes several other Republicans who voted like Grimm because their districts were also storm ravaged.). Doesn't my Conservative Republican Representative, Michael Grimm, still need to tell us exactly how much traction he has in this conservative Republican Caucus ?

On a real inside the House GOP Caucus point: Does the fact that yesterday's vote was brought to the floor without the support of a majority of Republicans violate the so-called "Hastert Rule" and show that Congressman Grimm and other "stormy" GOP members had too threaten the GOP House leadership and a majority of their GOP colleagues; and won't there be repercussions from something like that?

It's nice to hear talk about "...admirable political courage...", but unless we know exactly what's involved, how can we know if it's really courageous, or just expedient or exigent ?

Albany- State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn), a former New York City Police Officer, has issued comments following his vote to approve legislation tonight in the State Senate to protect all New Yorkers from the threat and danger of gun violence:

Tonight, the people of New York are safer because of the sensible and comprehensive public safety bill approved. This legislation is truly an accomplishment we can be proud of, and that will go a long way to making our streets, our schools, and communities safer for us all.

Throughout negotiations, we made sure not only to create additional statewide restrictions to the current assault weapons ban, but also to increase penalties. Today, we have taken a major step towards taking illegal guns off our streets and putting those who use them in jail where they belong. Just a few days ago, a father and a son were shot in a Brooklyn park, another family destroyed by gun violence.

I believe that the new crime created for the use of a community gun, legislation I championed, so that all associated with the gun are penalized, will be key to better safety. We have also voted for Kendra's Law which allows courts to order treatment of a person who has not sought treatment for serious mental illness that poses a threat to the public or to self. We cannot let gun ownership fall into the hands of folks either off our radar screen or who are mentally unstable.

As we know, gangs too have been prevalent and have caused us many problems in our war on crime in New York State. Today, we have sent and each every gang and their members a message as well that we will not tolerate their activity by creating a RICO stature for gangs.

It is my hope that every New Yorker can go to bed tonight feeling safer, with the dream of ending gun violence being realized now more than ever.
_______________________________________________

The publication of this statement is proof that neither Mr. Golden nor anybody close enough to have any influence over his public pronouncements has any concern for or notion of: facts, knowledge and truth, cause and effect, or intended and unintended consequences. IF THE EXISTANCE OF CERTAIN GUNS ARE THE CAUSE OF SOME LACK OF SAFETY, IF PEOPLE HAVING CERTAIN GUNS ARE THE CAUSE OF SOME LACK OF SAFETY, IF CRIMINALS' AND/OR NUTS' USING CERTAIN GUNS ARETHE CAUSE OF SOME LACK OF SAFETY --- THEN WE ARE NO SAFER TONIGHT THAN WE WERE ANY PAST NIGHT OR ANY NIGHT TO COME BECAUSE OF SOME CUOMO-SKELOS-KLEIN-SILVER-GOLDEN S.A.F.E. ACT

Monday, January 14, 2013

Tonight New York's State Senators approved Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature gun-control package by a 43-18 vote, with Brooklyn Republican-Conservative Martin Golden joining a majority of Democrats and pushing for Cuomo's gun bill against a majority of his fellow Republicans

The New York State Senate passed the gun bill at a little after 11 p.m. tonight. The Assembly is set to take up the legislation when it returns to session at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The bill, named the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NY SAFE Act, includes a ban of all magazines that hold more than seven rounds and background checks for all gun sales, regardless if they are private sales. In addition, the bill bans assault weapons, including those manufactured before 1994; that's when New York State last banned assault weapons and guns prior to that date were grandfathered in. When passed by the assembly and signed by the governor, this will most likely be the first piece of gun legislation passed in the United States since the shootings at Newtown, Connecticut.The senate bill also included several "fig leaf" items pushed for by some of the Republicans, who had expressed a reluctance to bolstering New York’s current assault weapons ban. Among those face saving measures are a new felony for carrying a firearm on school grounds, as well as provisions allowing pistol-permit holders to request that their personal information be guarded from open-records requests. Specifically citing such a "fig leaf" item was Senator Golden, who the NY Post reported had said the bill would also strengthen penalties for guns used in gang activities and would allow prosecution of any gang member who used a so-called “community gun.” According to the Post, Golden said, “This legislation that we’re passing will save lives.” There was no debate on the measure in the state senate, but some of the senators spoke on the floor to "explain" their votes. Thus far there has been no report of any remarks by State Senator Golden explaining his vote. Earlier after Governor Coumo had spoken about the "Deal" crafted along with the Republican leadership in the State Senate, Senator Martin Golden, is reported to have said after Cuomo's remarks that the Senate would immediately take up the bill on a track to pass it. Much earlier on the day of the vote, State Senator Golden was also reported to have said, "I can't see anything killing this.... The deal is going to get done."

About Me

I formerly have commented on various political blogs concerning Republican politics. Although the focus of my political commentary has been on the Brooklyn GOP and other aspects of politics in Brooklyn, I have also posted commentary about national matters.
If you wish to contact Galewyn Massey directly, please, Email to galewynmasban@gmail.com